The use of tethering stakes to secure articles or to restrain animals has been widely known. Most commonly, a wood or metal stake is driven into the ground and a rope or chain is secured to the top. However, such rudimentary tethering stakes are given to a loss of their anchoring capability when subjected to the force that is often imparted by a restrained animal. Moreover, basic tethering stakes often protrude above the ground to such a degree as to pose a hazard to those simply walking in the area, or to present an obstacle to lawnmowers and the like.
The prior art has experienced the advent of tethering stakes with anchoring arms, both pivotal and stationary, to establish a more positive anchoring effect than would otherwise be achieved. However, these anchoring arms have typically not been configured in such a manner as to maximize their effectiveness in ensuring increased resistance to increased force of extraction.
Prior art tethering stakes have also been devised to maintain a low profile in the ground in order to minimize obstacles to mowing or walking in the area. Additionally, such tethering stakes have been characterized by dome caps, near the top of the tethering stake, to limit the insertion into the ground, while also providing a curved plate or abutment for impact by mowers and feet, rather than the abrupt nature of a simple stake. However, the prior art stakes have been characterized with a cap that is fixed to the stake, as by welding or the like, thus providing a significant impediment to efficiencies in handling, packaging and storage.
There is, accordingly, a need in the art for a tethering stake which is capable of ease of insertion into the ground, and provides a secure anchor, that is attractive and of a low profile in use, and that is of a compact nature, given to ease of packaging, shipping, handling and stocking.